From 'Car Crazy' to Christ-focused: The New TV Show that Aims to Spark Revival in America

IRVINE, Calif. – TV viewers might feel overwhelmed by the bombardment of streaming content on Hulu, Roku, Amazon, and Netflix. Yet, that hasn't diminished the complaints about a lack of quality programming.

A new series called "Ignite Your Life TV" recently debuted in early 2019, and the show's creators believe its wholesome, inspirational, and entertaining content may contain the right mix to pique viewer interest and potentially spark the next great religious awakening in America.

Igniting Revival

"This show is about revival," said Leslie Kennedy, executive producer of "Ignite Your Life." "This show is about igniting Christians to know it's not that hard to share your faith."

And the star, Barry Meguiar, is no stranger to TV.

As host of "Car Crazy," Meguiar introduced viewers to hot rods and die-hard auto enthusiasts. His former show originally aired on the Velocity network, a subsidiary of the media empire that owns the Discovery Channel.

His new Ignite series still features stylish rides, but from there the show takes a decidedly different turn.

Although Meguiar is passionate about cars, there's something he values far more than his rare car collection and the Meguiar car care product line his grandfather started in 1901.

"There's nothing that compares with the privilege, with the experience of moving somebody into a knowledge of Jesus Christ," Meguiar told CBN News. "There's nothing in the human experience – in the human psyche – that compares with that. And we can do it every day."

Evangelism On-the-Go

For Barry and his wife, Karen, their faith is the core of who they are and is apparent wherever they go.

"Waitresses and waiters in restaurants, we've prayed for them," commented Karen Meguiar, his wife of 55 years. "When we go to pray for our meal, we ask them, 'Is there anything we can pray for you about?'"

Meguiar's preacher-like boldness is the byproduct of a personal belief that his success as a businessman has yielded him an even greater platform to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ.

"I love my business," he explained. "But that's temporal."

"I figured out a long time ago, it's not going to matter how many of these products I sold 100 years from now. It's not even going to matter if I'm a conservative or a liberal," Meguiar continued. "The only thing that's going to matter is have I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? For those of us who have, then the next question is how many people are going to be in heaven because of your influence?"

Should you spend any amount of time with Meguiar, you will quickly observe his dedication to the idea of using his influence for a greater purpose. It's captured in a phrase he repeats often – almost like his own translation of Jesus's instruction "to make disciples."

"Move everybody, every day closer to Jesus. It's something that everybody can understand," he explained. "The Great Commission is really: move everybody, every day closer to Jesus."

Man on a Mission

In the summer of 2010, Meguiar was hospitalized for more than two weeks and nearly died of a viral infection.

After recovering from the scare, he became a man on a mission – starting a ministry called Revival Outside the Walls. Its goal is to build excitement and foster purpose among Christians, inspiring them to share their faith beyond the walls of the church.

He believes Christians can use their influence on the job, at their homes and schools, and – just as he does – even on the road, which happens to be the setting for the Ignite series, filmed in Southern California.

His guests include celebrities and well-known pastors like Greg Laurie, evangelist and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship. But his guest list also includes names that may not be as familiar.

Meguiar and his team want the people they invite on their program to represent different backgrounds, generations, and walks of life. Yet what they all have in common is a passion to share their faith with others.

Joyful Sharing

They hope the theme will be contagious, showing how easy it can be for people to talk about their spiritual journeys and see similar experiences replicated throughout the country.

"At the end of the program, we want everybody to say, 'Well, I can do that. I want to get in on the fun!' Meguiar explained. "If [the show] can do that, we'll start igniting lives all over!"

He believes igniting the desire to evangelize will fuel a wave of joy among practicing Christians.

"You can be on church board. You can sing in the choir. You can be a Sunday school teacher," he explained. "I did all those things, but I didn't have joy. I was serving well, but the more Karen and I did, the drier we got."

"But when we started sharing our faith, all the sudden it's just like wow! There's nothing even remotely close to the experience in human existence to have this experience of knowing we just moved somebody closer to Jesus. That God used us," Meguiar continued.

Though now in his late 70s, he has no plans to slow down. Instead, he's pushing the pedal to the metal.

"We're just having so much fun," Meguiar told CBN News. "I feel like my entire life has been a prelude for this moment."